New old dreams
by thesumofmydecisions
Summary: Post 2x12. After Jack decides to start the Big Three construction company, teen Kevin finds inspiration and maybe a new dream in his dad.


**Author notes:** First, I want to thank you guys for reading and reviewing my other stories. I have so many ideas! Too bad I will never have the time to write all of them. This one is inspired by episode 2x12 and the synopsis for 2x13. It feels a little different, because for the first time it's all in the past. It's my first time writing Jack and also my first time writing teen Kevin. It's also a little bittersweet, since we know Jack will die soon, but the characters obviously have no idea. I just hope I get them right. I hope everyone likes it, you guys let me know.

 **Disclaimer:** No copyright infringement intended here, the only thing I own is my growing attachment to Kevin Pearson.

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 **Pittsburgh - 1997**

"Hey, dad," Kevin walked into the kitchen after going to the bathroom, and noticed his dad sitting at the table.

"Hey, bud. How are you feeling today?" Jack asked, taking his eyes off of the papers he was looking through for a second.

"Bored. Sophie's out with Kate, so I'll have the whole Saturday to do nothing by myself," he answered, sarcastically. The worst thing about his injury was the fact that he would never be able to play football again; the second worst thing about his injury was the cast and how everything was hard. He couldn't wait until that thing was off.

"Good," Jack said, absently, making Kevin frown and look at him. He was focused on those papers, that only now Kevin noticed weren't his usual AA stuff.

"Hey, what are you doing?" He took a can of soda from the fridge and sit in front of his father. Jack looked at him and shook his head.

"Me? Nothing," he answered.

"Okay," Kevin said, still curious. There was something happening. The two stared at each other until Jack shook his head again and ran his hand through his hair, smiling. Kevin was even more intrigued. "What?"

"Hmm, okay. Kev, I need to... No, I want to tell you something," his dad said. "But I don't want you to tell Kate and Randall. I need more time to talk to them, but I think you can hear it now."

Kevin was starting to worry. What was that big secret? "Dad, what's up? You're scaring me."

Jack laughed. "No, don't worry. It's good."

"Okay. So... Tell me," as Kevin asked again, Jack put the papers aside and straightened his body on the chair in a way that they were right in front of each other and he could look into his son's eyes.

"I'm gonna start the company," he said and paused, finishing with a smile. "Big three."

Kevin smiled too. It was good, indeed. "Really? That's awesome."

He had been thinking about that since Miguel told Kevin and Randall about it. Having himself to cope with the dream he would never accomplish, Kevin felt so much respect and affection for the father who willingly decided to sacrifice his dream for his kids. Now, he was genuinely happy to hear that Jack was going to pursue it again.

"Yeah... I've talked to your mother and Miguel, and things might get harder, but I'm doing it." The excitement was clear on his voice and his eyes.

"Thanks for telling me, dad." Kevin really appreciated that his dad would share that with him, knowing that he didn't want to talk to Kate and Randall yet. Being one of three kids, all of them learned soon to enjoy these small things and they were especially important to Kevin, who had a hard time connecting with his parents.

Jack got up and sat back on the other chair, the one that was closer to Kevin, and touched his son's shoulder. "No, son. I have to thank you. You were the one that inspired me." His voice was sweet, which made Kevin uncomfortable.

"Me?" He asked.

Jack nodded.

"You, Kevin Pearson. When you asked me if I couldn't do it now, I kept thinking and, you know what? You're right. I can."

"That's great, dad. I'm really happy you'll get to live your dream." It wasn't voluntary, but Kevin couldn't avoid the sad tone at the end of his answer. He was starting to get emotional, so he got up, as fast as the cast allowed him, and started to make his way back to the living room. Jack looked surprised and Kevin felt guilty for breaking that bonding moment.

As he was almost at the threshold, he heard his father's voice again. "Kev, if I can do this now, you will find something to make you happy again."

He chuckled. He was tired of all the positivity. Football was his life since he was a little kid. He thought he had his whole future figured out by the time he was nine and met the girl he knew would be the love of his life and now he lost an important part of that perfect picture he had envisioned for himself. It was not only the fact that he couldn't walk; he didn't know how to walk now.

"It's not the same." Kevin said, without turning back. He heard his father's footsteps and saw Jack passing by him to stand in front of him.

"I know. It's not. But I know my kids. I know you. I promise you. Five, ten, twenty years from now, I'm gonna watch you succeed, and you're gonna tell me I was right."

Unable to form any words, Kevin just nodded. He walked to the living room, barely noticing that he had forgotten the soda and the cookies he went to get in the kitchen. He sat on the couch and, as he bent down and put his hands on his face, he felt the chain of the necklace his dad had given him getting out of his shirt. At seventeen years old, he thought he knew everything but, though he always had some snappy comeback when his dad talked about that, he wished with all his heart that he would find another dream, another purpose in his life. He touched the pendant and felt angry that he was putting his hopes on a little piece of metal.

It wasn't long before his dad entered the room, with the food he had left in the kitchen. Jack gave him the soda and left the cookie box on the table. Without saying anything, he left and Kevin silently thanked him for not saying anything.

If anyone asked Kevin what he had watched for the next hour, he wouldn't know the answer; his mind was elsewhere. He listened to the occasional flip of pages and phone calls coming from the kitchen with much more attention than he listened to anything coming from the TV. A commercial caught his attention though. There was a father teaching his kid how to build a house of cards. Somehow, that threw Kevin to about ten years earlier and one of the things he enjoyed doing the most.

With that, he suddenly knew what he wanted to do. He had no idea if that was going to work, but he wanted to try. He turned off the TV and put away the remote, mentally cursing that cast for not being able to get up and walk faster. Jack was on the phone when he entered the kitchen again, his back to the door. Kevin waited impatiently, his body asking him to sit, but his determination making him decide he needed to stand and look stronger. He waited two full minutes until his dad turned to him.

"Er, Miguel? Kevin needs me, I'll call you back later. Bye."

Jack walked the few steps from where he was standing, a confuse look on his face. "Do you need anything?"

"I wanna work with you. I wanna help you with the company." He said, and his dad shook his head.

"No. Kevin you're going to college." Jack stated.

Kevin chuckled. "Dad. Let's be real. What college is gonna take me? I can't do the only thing I've been preparing to do my whole life. The only thing I was good at. I don't have Randall's brain or Kate's voice. So let me help you."

He was determined, but so was his dad. "Kev, you're going to college. We'll make it work," Jack paused, looking for a solution. "We'll... We'll use the money we spend now on Randall's school and pay for your tuition."

He kept talking numbers and how he had a plan, until Kevin stopped him. "Dad."

"We'll make it work," he insisted.

Kevin started to feel his good leg aching, for having to support all of his weight for more time than it should, but he wouldn't give up, he couldn't sit or he would lose his power, so he cut right to the chase, so they could end that part of the conversation sooner. "I don't want to."

That made Jack stop and look at him. Not look at his direction, but really look at him and pay attention to what he was trying to say. "What? Why not?"

Now Kevin could sit and explain.

"I... I don't know, okay? I need some time to figure it out. I don't need to go to college as soon as I graduate high school." For the first time in weeks, Kevin allowed himself to acknowledge that feeling and to say those words out loud. "So I want to work with you." Jack tried to protest again, but now he had started, Kevin had to take everything out of his chest. "Remember when we used to build models together? It was fun. It was fun being with you, without having to fight with Randall and Kate for attention, but it was also fun to see all those little pieces coming together to become a whole big piece. Maybe I'll find my dream building houses with you."

Jack's expression softened at the memories. "Kevin..." He started, but his voice failed him. "I don't want you to be like me."

Kevin closed his eyes and breathed before answering. "Like you what? A man who is happy with a good house he build it himself, a great wife and three kids he manages to support and spend time with them? Yeah, that's terrible, why would anyone want that, right?" It wasn't his intention to sound snarky or sarcastic or anything but sincere, because he really meant every one of those words. He just wanted to be happy. To be loved. Deep down, he didn't need hundreds of people cheering at him in the stands. If he could find that sense of worthiness and belonging by being the young man who carries on his dad's construction company, he would be happy with it.

The two stared at each other for a while, none of them knowing what to say next, until Jack got up and walked towards Kevin, who was now sitting at the same chair he had been earlier. He bent down to be at the same level of his son and put his hands on Kevin's neck, hugging him right after.

"If that's what you want..." Jack said, when he pulled from hugging his son.

Kevin felt peace. For the first time since he got hurt, he felt like his life could be going somewhere. So without any hesitation he answered. "That's what I want."


End file.
